I'll play Devil's Advocate:<div>
</div><div>You say you don't 'have the time' to spend at the local club learning to fly with an instructor, yet this is the third thread you've found the time to post on self-taught flying.</div><div>Your repairs take time, and leave the plane heavier and possibly compromised such that it may fly worse. </div><div>The self-teaching approach is inefficient, in that you crash more frequently and don't learn many things a teacher imparts. It can be said you're learning more about crashing, because that's part of what you're repeating.  How do you learn safety principles, aerodynamics, etc? It's not all reflexes and eye-hand skillz. </div><div>As you experience more crashes, you subtly 'learn' that dubious skill. </div><div>
</div><div>I would hope newbies reading your posts realize this is an example of what NOT to do. Investing a little time and patience learning from a mentor will lead to quicker, safer learning. You sound like one of those folks who doesn't take advice from others. As for me, I don't have the time to make all the mistakes, I'll learn from the mistakes of others. </div><div>You're also missing out on making new friends at the field. </div><div>
</div><div>I tried what you're doing when I was very young. I bought a couple second-hand planes and tried it on my own. I didn't know there was a small club nearby. After totaling those planes, I talked to the guys at the hobby shop and got the name of a couple teachers. I built an all-new plane and had the instructor teach me. It only took about 4-5 trips, and I soloed. That trainer lasted about 12 years, mainly because I repeated successful things over and over. </div>